


A Nightmare, or a Dream?

by MidnightWolf697



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 22:45:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1758833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightWolf697/pseuds/MidnightWolf697
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What could've happened if the car accident had been much worse? Set after the end of '"Berlin"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (This story is also posted on Fanfiction.net)

“Tony,” Ziva said, looking into his eyes lovingly. Tony barely had time to respond before they were hit by the speeding SUV. The force of the impact sent Tony’s red car veering across the empty intersection as shards of glass from the passenger side window cut into the two NCIS agents’ skin. Tony’s bloodied hand reached out to grab Ziva’s, but fell limp. Everything went black.  
~  
Tony slowly opened his eyes, groggily looking around the plain blue and white hospital room. His entire body ached as if; well, as if he’d been hit by a car. His skin was decorated with bruises and cuts which had been stitched and bandaged. He reached up, lightly fingering the gauze on his cheek and forehead. Tony’s gaze shifted to the sleeping figure across the room. It was none other than the happy-go-lucky goth forensic scientist Abby. He recognized the jacket covering her belonged to McGee. Gibbs was probably around, but where was Ziva? Memories of the previous night flooded back into his head as the door of the room opened.

“Ziva…” Tony mumbled. McGee looked over at the sound of his friend’s voice, a smile forming on his face.

“Tony, you’re awake,” He said, “How are you feeling?”

“Where’s Ziva?” Tony asked. The smile disappeared from McGee’s face and was replaced with a more solemn expression. He sat down in the chair next to the bed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before turning his head to face Tony.

“Tony, Ziva is in the intensive care unit.” McGee said, “She’s stable, but it pretty bad shape.” Tony drew in a sharp breath. Ziva had been in the passenger’s seat. She’d taken more of the impact than he had; of course she’d be worse off.

“How bad?” Tony asked, his hazel eyes meeting McGee’s.

“A few broken bones, a concussion, and several lacerations and bruises.” McGee replied, “Gibbs is with her now,”

Tony threw the blanket off and started to stand up. McGee put a hand on his shoulder and tried to get him to sit back down saying “Tony stop, you’re not supposed to get up.”  
  
“Get out of my way Tim, I need to see her.” Tony grumbled. The commotion had woken Abby up, and in seconds she was across the room hugging Tony, her gravelly voice saying his name in delight.

“Oh Tony, I was so worried!” Abby said. She hugged him a bit tighter, causing him to grunt in pain. “Oh, sorry!”

“It’s okay Abby,” Tony sighed. He sat back down, realizing that trying to fight both the goth and McGee would be a futile attempt.  
  
Tony sat in the room with Abby and McGee for another painstakingly slow hour until a doctor came in with papers saying he could be discharged from the hospital. He changed into a pair of jeans and a red Ohio State tee shirt which McGee had brought over for him. As soon as he was officially discharged, he left his coworkers and headed to the ICU.  
  
The smell of bleach filled his nose as he hurried down the halls. He had never liked hospitals, especially after his bout with the plague. However, this time the walls seemed to close around him as he walked and his heart sped up with every step. Tony stopped at the nurse’s station to ask where Ziva’s room was, and the nurse pointed across the hall. As Tony hurried into the room, he almost ran into Gibbs.  
  
“Sorry boss,” He muttered. Gibbs gave a simple nod and stepped to the side so Tony could see his partner.  
  
Ziva was hooked up to several wires and tubes. Her head was bandaged along with her left arm; her right arm had been secured in a white cast. Bruises and cuts littered her beautiful skin. Tony’s breath hitched in his throat as he walked over to the bed. He sat down next to the bed and took Ziva’s hand in his.  
  
“Ziva…”  
  
“She’ll be alright DiNozzo,” Gibbs said, “She’s a fighter.”  
  
“I know,” Tony replied, smiling weakly. Gibbs stepped out, leaving the two agents in the dark room.  
  
It was quiet except for the rhythmic beeping of the machines and the occasional shuffle of shoes and carts outside the door. Tony’s gaze was fixed on Ziva as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, silently begging her to wake up. He needed to hear her voice; needed Ziva to tell him that everything would be okay and that this was just one of the risks that came with being a federal agent.  
  
 _“We walk through those doors every day, knowing that it could be our last.”_  
  
Ever since Ziva had spoken those words, Tony realized just how fragile life was and now he prayed that walking into the elevator on the way to Berlin wouldn’t be the last time.  
  
Tony stayed with Ziva for hours. Doctors and nurses came in and out of the room every hour. Ducky, Jimmy and Breena had also stopped by to see how they were doing. It was a quarter after six when Abby and McGee stopped by. After much persuasion, they finally convinced Tony to get dinner with them and go home for the night. Tony gave Ziva’s hand a little squeeze saying “I’ll be back tomorrow” before turning and walking out of the bleak room.


	2. Chapter 2

After stopping at the nearest take-out place to get Chinese food, McGee took Tony back to his apartment. Tony walked into his apartment and flipped on the light. It felt good to be home, but he wished he could’ve come back under better circumstances. He dropped his bag by the couch and turned his attention to the goldfish swimming around its little bowl.

“I’m back, Kate,” He said, dropping some fish food into the water. Kate swam up to the surface and gobbled up the blue and red flakes. Tony looked up at the pictures that lined the shelves above the fish bowl. He picked up a picture of him and Ziva that had been taken the previous year and carried it into the bedroom. He set it back down on the night stand before collapsing onto his bed. He turned on his right ride and stared at the picture.

It was only a month ago that Ziva had spent the night after he father was killed. Tony could still remember every detail down to the mixed emotions in Ziva’s eyes.

_Tony woke up in the middle of the night hearing a muffled and upset voice coming from the bedroom. He got up, walked over to the door, and opened it, peering into the room. The ex-Mossad agent was mumbling in her sleep._

_“Ziva?” Tony said as he approached her and sat down on the edge of the bed._

_“Abba…” Ziva mumbled, tears rolling down the sides of her face. Tony gently shook her shoulder and she woke with a start, grabbing Tony’s wrist as her eyes snapped open. “Tony…” her grip on his wrist loosened and now she was holding his hand._

_“It’s okay,” Tony said, “It was just a nightmare.”_

_“No, it wasn’t,” Ziva shook her head and replied. The look in her eyes was one of incomprehensible grief. Tony could tell that she had dreamt of her father’s death._

_“I’m sorry,” Tony said, giving Ziva’s hand an encouraging squeeze._

_“Thank you,” She replied._

Tony woke up to the sound of his radio; some talk show with hosts making cliché jokes about the economy or the president. He rolled over and turned it off, glancing at the screen of the digital clock. It was twenty after seven. The morning sun had begun to show through the blinds, casting faint shadows across the room. Tony slowly got up and trudged into the bathroom. 

He removed the gauze and bandages to examine his various injuries. The cuts on his cheek and nose were healing nicely, but he couldn’t go without bandaging them just yet. His attention was then drawn to the wound on his forehead; it was bruised and sore to the touch. Tony winced as he lightly poked the area. While the bruises would fade in about a week, the cut had been deep and would definitely scar. Tony could hear Ziva scolding him already.

_“Quit your whining Tony, it’s just a little cut.”_

Tony sighed and stepped into the shower. He was still sore from the accident and the warm water helped him relax. After his shower, he put on a pair of black slacks, a plain blue dress shirt and replaced the bandages on his wounds. Tony went into the kitchen and scarfed down a cereal bar as he finished getting around.

As he started to leave, he went to grab his keys from the bowl only to find nothing. Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. The fact had slipped his mind for a minute; he didn’t have a car. He had to get over his dislike of public transportation and take the bus to work.

Thankfully, it was a short ride to the Navy yard. The bus was more crowded than he had expected. There were only a few seats open so for three blocks he was stuck sitting behind a man who smelled like he hadn’t showered in a week. Two babies decided to have a screaming match, each one taking turns crying as loud as they could while their mothers tried to quiet them. As all the seats on the bus filled up, an elderly woman stepped on. She walked with a shuffle and used a metal cane for support. Tony stood up, offering his seat to her, but she declined at first when she saw his many injuries. She finally accepted after Tony insisted, saying that he was getting off at the next stop anyway. The woman thanked him as she sat down and inquired about his injuries.

“Car accident,” Tony replied. As the bus came to another stop, the woman wished him good luck and Tony stepped off the bus.


	3. Chapter 3

As Tony walked into the NCIS building, several workers asked how he and Ziva were doing. News about the accident had spread through the Navy yard like wildfire. Because of some of the high-profile cases they’d solved, Gibbs and his team had become well known agents. Tony approached the elevator, stopping briefly and looking hesitantly before stepping in.

_“We walk through those doors every day, knowing it could be our last.”_

Tony took a deep breath to steady himself, leaning against the cold metal wall as he listened to the low hum of the elevator. His fist tightened around the strap of his pack.

_“Will that be our last time together, Tony?”_

Tony bit his lip as he pounded his fist against the hand rail in frustration. The walls suddenly seemed to be closing in around him and he clenched his eyes shut.

“No Ziva,” He whispered, “It won’t be.” He sighed as the elevator doors opened, and stepped out. Many of the other agents looked up from their paperwork and watch Tony as he approached the squad room. McGee was the only one to come up to Tony as he set the pack down behind his desk.

“How are you holding up?” McGee asked. Tony looked up at his coworker as he sat down.

“How do you think I’m doing Tim?” Tony replied in a frustrated tone. McGee eyed the senior-field agent warily. Tony sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“Sorry, I was just asking.” McGee said, “Everyone is worried about you and Ziva. Your car was in pretty bad shape when it was brought into the evidence garage.” Tony’s head jerked up at the mention on his precious car.

“How bad?” He asked, unsure of whether he wanted to hear the answer or not.

“Why don’t you go see for yourself?” McGee suggested, “I’m sure Abby would like to see you again too.”

Tony stood up and walked past McGee and out of the squad room. After another short elevator ride (he wasn’t hesitant this time), Tony walked into the evidence garage only to be enveloped in a giant hug by Abby.

“Are you feeling any better Tony?” The goth asked.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Tony replied, “How’s my car?”

“Well, it’s certainly seen better days,” Abby said, stepping to the side. Tony groaned when he saw the state of his car.

The passenger’s side door was dented along with most of the right side of the front end. Part of the front bumper had come off and specks of black paint decorated the original bright red of the vehicle. The hood was also bent at an odd angle and had partially detached from the rest of the car. The other half of it was propped up, hiding part of the cracked windshield.

“Sorry Tony, its terminal.” Abby said. Tony shook his head.

“Oh come on!” He groaned, “First my corvette gets stolen, then La Grenouille blows up my mustang, and now this?”

Abby gave Tony another hug as the elevator doors opened and Gibbs stepped out.

“DiNozzo, what are you doing here?” He asked as he approached the two.

“Um, working boss,” Tony replied with a bit of confusion as Gibbs looked at him silently. Abby leaned over and whispered in Tony’s ear.

“I think he means ‘why aren’t you with Ziva?’.” She said.

“Oh,” Tony muttered, “I was going to see her after work.”

“Go,” Gibbs said, “now.”

“Right now?” Tony asked. Gibbs shook his head.

“No DiNozzo, next week.” Gibbs replied sarcastically, “Of course right now.”

“Okay boss,” Tony said as he nodded. As he walked past his two coworkers, Gibbs slapped him on the back of the head like always.  
~  
This time the bus ride was a bit longer. Luckily, there were no babies crying and Tony didn’t have to sit behind a foul smelling man. At the stop after he’d gotten on, a woman boarded the bus. She sat down in the seat across the aisle from him and started talking. Tony ignored her flirting, which was unusual for him. She was young and attractive, wearing a black suit, pencil skirt, and matching heels with her hair and make-up done perfectly. Tony quickly grew tired of her flirtatious advances and when she finally asked where he was going, he told her that he was going to the hospital to see her girlfriend. The woman immediately fell silent, and Tony got off the bus at the next stop.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony walked through the halls of the hospital with the same nervous expression he’d worn the first time he visited Ziva. The anxiety had come back, but wasn’t as bad this time. As Tony walked, he passed a couple and their young children in the waiting room. The man hugged his wife as she sobbed, head buried in the shoulder of her husband’s jacket. The two kids who couldn’t have been more than 5 or 7 years old, the older a boy and the younger a girl, were sitting on the floor scribbling in coloring books, completely oblivious to the sorrow and anguish around them.

The image of Ziva in the hospital bed flashed in his head; she’d never looked so…vulnerable.

_‘She’ll be alright DiNozzo. She’s a fighter.’_

Tony paused and took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing on his way. He knew Ziva would make it through; she always did. As he approached Ziva’s room, he was overcome with a wave of uneasiness; something didn’t seem right. The name plate by the door was empty and the door was wide open. Tony’s pace quickened and the anxiety engulfed him completely. He took one step into the room and froze; it was empty. It had been cleaned and the bed had been made, but there was no sign of Ziva.  
  
“No, no no…”Tony muttered, running a nervous hand through his hair. He turned and went up to the nurses’ station.

“Excuse me; I’m looking for Ziva David.” He said trying to sound calm. The nurse noticed his frantic expression and pulled up Ziva’s files on the computer.

“Don’t worry, she’ll alright.” The nurse replied, “She’s been moved to room 204, just down the hall on the left.”

Tony thanked her and hurried down the hall to Ziva’s new room. He breathed a sigh of relief as he walked in the room, his eyes darting to the sleeping figure on the bed. He pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down, taking Ziva’s hand in his.

“I’m here Ziva,” He said, hoping the somehow she could hear him. It must have worked because shortly after he spoke, Ziva’s hand twitched and her fingers slowly started to move. Tony spoke again as he watched her intently and a smile made its way across his face. He wiped away a few tears that rolled down his face as Ziva’s eyes fluttered open. Her eyes wandered around the room for a minute before settling on her partner.

“Tony…” She mumbled weakly.

“Thank god you’re awake.” Tony said. Ziva tried to move her arm but all of the tubes and wires prevented it. She tried to pull on out of the way but Tony stopped her and went to get one of the nurses.

After Tony walked out, Ziva looked around the room more observantly. She tried to lift her right arm but movement was restricted by a white cast. She could feel something tightly wrapped around her head and left arm and glanced down to see that it was bandages. Her entire body was sore and she noted the various bruises as she studies the visible extent of her injuries. She looked around the room for a calendar or something of the sort, wondering how long she’d been unconscious. There was a white board on the wall across the room and on it was written her name, room number, nurse’s name, and the day’s date. Looking at the board, she realized she’d only been out for a day or so.

Ziva tried to remember details from the accident but a lot of it was a blur. She remembered holding Tony’s hand, and seeing a quick flash from the headlights of the other car before it hit them. The impact hadn’t knocked her unconscious right away, but when she tried to remember what happened next, all she saw was a blurry figure approaching the car. All the medicine they were giving her through the I.V. was making it hard for her to concentrate as Tony came back in the room with a nurse and doctor.

Thankfully, after running a few tests, the doctor freed Ziva from some of the wires and tubes. Ziva winced as they shifted her position to remove them. She wanted to scream- to yell at them to stop moving her- but she didn’t have the strength. She hated feeling this weak; it must’ve been from all the medicine. At Mossad, if you were weak, you were ‘let go’ and considered a failure in the eyes of the others. She was raised to be strong and therefore refused to show her weakness. She ignored the pain to the best of her ability, determined not to let Tony see her in any worse a state than she was already in.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as the doctor and nurse left the room, Ziva spoke up.

“Are you alright?” She asked, noting the bruises and bandages that decorated Tony’s face.

“I should be asking you that,” Tony replied with a half-smile. “But I think we both already know the answers.”

Ziva noticed that she had unintentionally taken Tony’s hand in hers. Although she didn’t admit it out loud, she was glad Tony had been there when she had woken up. She probably would’ve been in a panic had she been alone. Tony’s presence here was calming.

“The others will be glad to hear that you’re awake.” Tony said, absentmindedly intertwining his fingers with Ziva’s. “We were all worried that we were going to lose another team member.”

_‘Another?’_

Ziva shot tony a confused look. Had someone else been hurt while she was out? The expression on Tony’s face changed briefly, and Ziva realized who he was talking about.

_‘Kate…’_

The anniversary of the former NCIS agent’s death was in a few days. The accident surely would’ve added to her teammates’ grief had she or Tony been killed. But that’s what the person in the other car was trying to do, wasn’t it? They had been sitting there, waiting for her and Tony to pass them. If they weren’t trying to kill the two, then what did they want?

“Ziva?” Tony waved his hand in front of her face. “Ziva!”

The Israeli shook her head and looked back up at her partner.

“You sure you’re okay?” Tony asked in concern.

Ziva nodded.

“I’m fine, Tony, I was just thinking.” She replied.

“You really spaced out there for a minute. I thought maybe you were possessed or something.” Tony chuckled at this reference to the various horror movies he’d seen.

“No, I’m not possessed, Tony.” Ziva said.

“I know, it was a joke,” Tony replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I guess you’re not really in a laughing mood right now…sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Ziva said. She yawned; the medicine was starting to take effect again.

“You should rest,” Tony said as he stood up.

“I’ve been resting, Tony.” Ziva replied. Tony shushed her before she could say anything more, earning a slight glare.

“You need to get your strength back.” Tony said, “Now rest.” He gave Ziva’s hand an encouraging squeeze and kissed her forehead. “I promise I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Thank you, Tony.” Ziva said as her eyes drifted shut. And sure enough, Tony kept his promise.  
~  
To Ziva’s relief, the doctor allowed her to be released from the hospital a few days later. The only thing she still had to be bothered with was her cast which she had to wear for at least another month. Abby had taken the liberty of decorating Ziva’s cast, and the others had joined in. Now the once plain white was covered in marks of red, blue, and green. Gibbs had also filled her in on all they’d learned while Ziva was unconscious. The diamonds that Tony and Ziva had brought back from Berlin had been taken and they didn’t have many leads. McGee had tracked the car that hit them back to its owner, along with a police report stating that the car had been stolen; yet another dead end. Ziva told the others as much as she could remember, but some things were still a bit hazy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter. It's a pretty short story. I might go back and revise some things eventually. Thank you all for reading!

“Have I ever told you how much I love this car?” Tony said, glancing briefly over at Ziva in the passenger’s seat. They had picked up Ziva’s car from her apartment and were going over to the cemetery to visit Kate

“Yes, you have, Tony.” Ziva replied with a slight smile, amused at his excitement over her mini. As she looked out her window, the scenery became eerily familiar. They were passing through the intersection where they’d been hit the week before. Ziva couldn’t take her eyes off the pavement. The skid marks from Tony’s car were still there along with pieces of glass that glittered in the sunlight.

“Ziva?” The Israeli’s eyes flitted to Tony. He was giving her a look of worry and Ziva noticed that she had grabbed his hand. She pulled her arm back, mumbling an apology as she looked down at her lap, not wanting to look her partner in the eye at the moment.

“We can go back to your apartment if you don’t feel up to visiting today.” Tony said, “Kate won’t mind.” Ziva shook her head and forced herself to look up at Tony for a minute to shoot him a small smile.

“No, its fine, _I’m_ fine.” She replied. A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked back out her window.

“Keep that in mind, Ziva.” Tony said, “You’re fine, I’m fine, we’re both alright. It’s all in the past, so just let it go. It could’ve been a lot worse, but it wasn’t.” So he had been thinking about it too.

It was quiet the rest of the ride. When they arrived at the cemetery, Tony was the first one out of the car. He was opening the passenger side door before Ziva had unbuckled her seatbelt; it was a bit hard with her cast getting in the way.

“Thank you, Tony.” Ziva said as she got out of the car.

“Anytime, Miss Daisy,” Tony replied with a light chuckle.

“Miss Daisy?” Ziva questioned.

“Yeah, don’t tell me you haven’t heard of _‘Driving Miss Daisy’_.” Tony replied, earning an inquiring look from his partner. He gave a quick nod. “Alright, another movie to add to the list of flicks you need to watch.”

“You have a list?” Ziva asked with a skeptical smile. Tony chuckled.

“Well, not an actual list,” He replied, “I was joking, but there are a lot that you need to see.”

“Maybe we could watch them sometime.” Ziva mused.

As the two approached Kate’s gave, they noticed that someone had set a bouquet of red and black roses next to it. Abby must have already stopped by. A small bush of yellow poppies was in full bloom on the other side of the grave, creating a stark contrast with the bundle of roses. Poppies always were Kate’s favorite; they were probably put there by her parents.

“Hey Kate,” Tony said, “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to stop by sooner, but I brought Ziva with me this time. I think you would’ve liked her.”

“Hello, Kate.” Ziva said. As they talked, Ziva was surprised at how Tony mostly spoke as if Kate was still alive. She asked him if he did this often, and he said that he did. Tony did most of the talking, and at one point Ziva looked around as a black car rounded the corner, slowly passing the cemetery. Its driver side window was rolled halfway down and Ziva could see the driver. That’s when it all came back to her.

Memories of the last few minutes after the crash flashed back into Ziva’s head. She was back in the car, a sharp pain shooting up her arm with every move she made. She was trying to wake Tony up when she saw someone walking toward them. Her arm was pinned and she couldn’t reach her gun. Ziva looked back up at the person and immediately recognized him. He had been the one that hit them. He had taken the diamonds and left as Ziva began to slip into unconsciousness.

"Ilan,"

“Did you say something, Ziva?” Tony asked. He didn’t even get a response before his partner took off running in the direction of the car. “Ziva!”

Ziva ran as fast as she could, ignoring her body’s aches of protest. Sharp pain sparked up her arm and into her shoulder with every step she took; it was impossible to run without jostling her arm around. The black car sped off before Ziva made it to the sidewalk. She could’ve continued to run after it had Tony not grabbed her good arm and stopped her.

“Tony, that was Ilan!” Ziva said, trying to pull her arm free. “He has the diamonds!”

“Ziva, stop!” Tony half-yelled. The last thing he wanted was to attract attention from passersby. “You can’t go after him right now. You’re hurt, and he’d easily over power you. We need to tell Gibbs.”

Ziva yanked her arm out of her partner’s grasp. “I’m not weak, Tony.” She said with a hint of anger in her voice.

“I never said you were,” Tony protested.

“No, but you implied it.” Ziva replied. She let out a sigh and angrily slammed her hand down on the hood of her car, mumbling something in Hebrew.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who has read this story/given kudos. I really hope you all have liked this story (even though it may be short with some possible plot holes). Thanks for reading!

“That was a reckless thing to do, Ziva.” Tony said. They were back at his apartment watching a movie after the long day they’d both had. Tony had suggested a comedy to help them both unwind.

“I know, Tony.” Ziva replied. She’d already been lectured by Gibbs and the director earlier that evening.

“We almost lost you again,” Tony said, casting a glance over to his partner. He wasn’t quite sure why he’d started talking in the first place, but he needed answers and Ziva was the only one who had them. 

_Tony stood in the doorway of Ziva’s apartment, his eyes following her as she moved around the room. “Well, if you need anything just call,” He said._

_“Thank you, Tony.” Ziva replied with a slight nod of her head. “I will,”_

_“Good night Ziva,” Tony said as he turned to leave, stopping briefly to cast another glance in her direction._

_“Good night,” Ziva said before closing the door behind him._

_After Tony walked out of the apartment building, he looked up at the window of Ziva’s apartment in time to see her figure disappear behind the curtains._

_A few hours later, Ziva got a phone call from her partner. She let the answering machine get it; she was too busy trying to break off her cast. At first she had tried to be gentle, but that didn’t work so she had to resort to rougher measures. Tony’s voice broke the silence as she worked on removing the last bits of the cast._

_“Ziva, if you’re there, please pick up.” There was a minute of silence and Tony sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I didn’t mean for you to think that I thought you were weak. I’m worried about you. Please, don’t do anything reckless.”_

_There was a soft beep and the message ended. Ziva removed the last bits of the cast hat stuck to her skin. She winced as shots of pain made their way up her arm. There was no doubt that in the process she’d broken any small fractures that had already begun to heal._

_Ziva grabbed her gun off the table and secured the holster at her hip. She threw on her jacket, grabbing her keys before heading out the door. She knew where Ilan would be, and she wasn’t going to let him get away._

_‘I am sorry Tony, but I have to do this.’_

Ziva shifted uncomfortable as her arm began to throb under the new cast. The doctors at the hospital had certainly been surprised to find out she’d broken off the first one. Tony moved as well to give his partner more room on the couch. Ziva’s back was resting against his chest so he adjusted the pillow under her arm. Silence had fallen over the two as the characters on the screen began to talk again, but neither of them was listening. Tony supposed he had been too hard on Ziva; especially after all she’d been through the past few months.

“Ziva, I’m sorry,” He said. Ziva half-turned her head to look at him.

“Do not apologize, Tony.” She replied, “It is not your fault. I was letting my personal feelings cloud my judgment. I became too involved in the case.”

“Ziva he was your father-”

“Yes, and because of that I not only put my life in danger but yours as well.” She took a deep breath to calm herself. “It is I who should be apologizing.” 

Tony sighed inaudibly. “Ziva, I’m not going to say I understand how you feel, because I don’t,” He said. “But if I was in your position…well, I probably would’ve done the same thing. I’m sorry I gave you a hard time about it, but I worry about you, Ziva.”

“You do not need to worry about me, Tony.” Ziva replied. “I am perfectly capable of handling myself.”

Tony shifted so he could look at his partner better. There were so many things he wanted to say. “I worry because I care about you.” He said. There was a brief pause. “Ziva, I love you.”

Silence filled the air for a few moments as Ziva’s mind processed his words. Any doubt in her mind fled as those words left his mouth. She’d always wondered if he felt the same, and now she knew.

“Tony, I love you too.” She replied. She turned and tried to hug him despite the odd angle. Tony’s arms enveloped her as he placed a kiss on her forehead. 

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, simply enjoying each other’s company until Tony brought up the fact that it had been a long day and they both needed sleep. He let Ziva take the bed, insisting he’d be fine on the couch for the night. Tony kissed his partner goodnight before she disappeared into the bedroom. He flopped down on the couch, tucking one arm under his head. He closed his eyes and sleep quickly took over.

~

“Tony…Tony, wake up...” The agent felt someone lightly shake his shoulder. A small spark of pain shot through his body with each movement. The voice became louder and more distressed as it spoke his name, drowning in and out of the noise from a blaring horn.

Tony slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times to focus his vision. All he saw was darkness and a single streetlight reflecting off cracked glass. His mind was racing as he was hit with the realization that he wasn’t in his apartment. His gaze flickered over to the side where his eyes stopped on Ziva who had a worried look etched across her face. 

It didn’t take Tony’s mind long to piece everything together. It all made sense now. He was back in the car with Ziva. They were both alright; nothing had been real. There was one thing, however, that Tony wasn’t sure of. Had it all been a nightmare, or a dream?


End file.
